~ Cogito ergo sum

a progress report

Our favorite apples, cider donuts, vibrant orange on the trees, hiking in the woods as the leaves are falling — these are some of the things we missed the past two years. It’s autumn in New England and change is in the air. As the leaves turn colorful and the temps get cooler, Dick and I are continuing to adjust to this phase of our lives. The most recent change is a very, very good one. Dick started a full-time job! He is now an Art Director at a major government contractor. This job answers our prayers and needs in a lot of ways — stable employer, good income, reasonable commute, and an excellent work opportunity at this point in D’s career. He’s on a contract with no benefits, but we can manage without that for now. Dick has been freelancing and working from home for over 30 years, so you can imagine what a big change this is for him. It’s exciting, though!

It’s so weird to be the one staying home as he goes off to work — complete flip from the past five years! I’m adjusting to being alone after being with my husband 24/7 for the last four months. It helped a little that we were apart for a week before he started the new job. I made a trip to New York to visit family and take some classes for a professional certificate.

I’m still “in between” and allowing the pause. In some ways, I feel like I’m gearing up for the next adventure. I’m optimistic that it’s just around the corner. I had a phone interview recently and there are a few other irons in the fire. I’m taking advantage of continuing education opportunities and doing lots of reading to bone up on some topics and just absorb some really good stuff. I’m addressing some physical issues (nothing serious) and processing (or reprocessing) some emotional residue. I’m not thrilled about being in the “change of life” phase 😛, but I intend to persevere!

It’s been difficult to close the last chapter and sometimes I miss our life in Nederland so much (damn Facebook memories!), but I know there are more adventures ahead. Let’s see what happens next! 🙂